After a third successive defeat to Stellenbosch FC in the Betway Premiership, Orlando Pirates head coach Jose Riveiro has discussed the difficulty of playing against the side from the Western Cape.
Pirates lost for the third time in a row to Stellies in the league on Sunday, after dropping points and being defeated for the first time this season, via a 1-0 scoreline.
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Steve Barker's charges completed a league double over Bucs last season, after edging them 1-0 at Danie Craven Stadium and came from two goals down to edge the men in Black and White 3-2 in the reverse fixture at Orlando Stadium.
"It's a difficult team to play for teams like us. Our way of playing is based on possession. It's a really organized team behind the ball," Riveiro told journalists after the game, when asked what's so difficult about Stellies.
"Unselfish. The solidarity in the group is exceptional. If you see, every time Rele [Relebohile Mofokeng], [Mohau] Nkota or 'Tito' [Patrick Maswanganyi, our forwards were on the ball, they always had three or four bodies harassing them, with no time, no opportunity to turn, especially after they got the lead.
"It's a team with a lot of speed up front with [Devon] Titus, Sanele [Barns] and even [Ashley] Cupido. So, it's a permanent threat to a team trying to create chances through possession, because you feel like you're in control, but it happens [counter-attack]," the Spaniard said.
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"It's a situation we know all of us, Titus running, transition behind your fullback and scoring the winning goal. As much as you try to control those situations, you know once or twice during the game, it's going to happen."
The Soweto giants won the MTN8 final against Stellies under controversial circumstances, after a bad refereeing error by Abongile Tom, which allowed the former to take the lead in the last minute, to ultimately win 3-1, when the game was 1-1 and heading for extra-time.